Alexander Lawton

Alexander Robert Lawton (November 4, 1818 – July 2, 1896) was a Confederate lawyer, politician, diplomat, and brigadier general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War.

Early life Lawton was born in the Beaufort District of South Carolina. He was the son of Alexander James Lawton and Martha Mosse. He graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1839, placing 13th out of 31 in his class. He served as a second lieutenant in the 1st U.S. Artillery until resigning his commission in 1840 to study law. He attended the Harvard Law School, graduating in 1842. He settled in Savannah, Georgia, and entered the fields of law, railroad administration, and state politics. Lawton died in Clifton Springs, New York.